By Amanda Painter

If you follow the news, you might have noticed some stories that fit the following theme: things that had once run rampant coming up against greater awareness, the need for deep healing, and a social justice imperative. Not all the week’s news stories fit this general shape, but many do. You might even sense some of those themes in your personal life, or find that certain news stories are resonating with you quite strongly.

Photo by Amanda Painter

Consider these examples: Bill Cosby’s retrial resulted in a guilty verdict on three counts of sexually assaulting Andrea Constand; a magistrate in Australia has ordered Cardinal George Pell, one of the Vatican’s most senior officials, to stand trial on decades-old sexual abuse charges; women executives at Nike have parlayed an internal, informal survey about long-term sexual harassment and gender discrimination (much of which had been reported to human resources and ignored) into an apparent reorganization of the company.

Additionally, North Korea’s Kim Jong-un promised on Monday to immediately suspend nuclear and missile tests and dismantle one of its nuclear test sites, after a diplomatic meeting with South Korean leader Moon Jae-in. He even pledged to abandon his nuclear weapons if the United States agrees to formally end the Korean War and promises not to invade his country. (We’ll see, but it is a fascinating statement.)

Between these stories of the pursuit of sexual justice and a potential cessation of certain nuclear and war-oriented activities, there’s a common thread. Something that had been running amok in an institutionally sanctioned or corporate/governmental environment, with far-reaching consequences (Pholus in Capricorn), is meeting up with greater awareness in personal and collective realms (Chiron on the Aries Point — the first degrees of Aries). Chiron and Pholus are in a square aspect that is exact on Saturday.

That awareness is key for any healing to occur; you can’t address and heal what you don’t know about — or what you’re willfully ignoring. Yet for many of these examples I’ve chosen, there’s also a dynamic of sexual harm and scandal. We can relate that to the minor object Salacia, which is conjunct Chiron on the Aries Point. And right now, those two objects are joined by the asteroid Juno.

In many situations, Juno signifies jealousy and unmet needs in relationships. Yet some astrologers also note its potential to describe social justice issues. I’m not sure about the jealousy part regarding the news examples I’ve mentioned (apart from Kim Jong-un’s missile-envy), but you can certainly check for it in your own life. Are you noticing some kind of unmet sexual need or insecurity, and does it seem like it has gone on far too long? Or something that began as seemingly minor, only to be prolonged or get ‘set in stone’?

What would it take for you to address any tension you’re experiencing as a result? You might feel emboldened by the women of Nike or by Andrea Constand to seek overdue justice. Yet maybe justice has been served in some way, or that’s not what you need at this particular moment; there are many phases to healing, and many ways to get there, which could include simply choosing differently.

It’s amazing how seemingly small decisions can set a person along a path of healing that takes them much further than they ever could have imagined. Yet often that first step is taken under a sense of pressure. The tension of squares in astrology, and the action they provoke, can be uncomfortable — but quite effective if you’re willing to start something new. Cardinal signs — Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and especially Aries — are all about getting started.
Greater awareness of what was unleashed long ago is generally very useful. It lets you deal with what you’re facing in the present much more holistically. With Juno, Chiron and Salacia in Aries also opposing the minor objects Makemake and Logos in Libra, the ‘logic’ behind ‘how things came to be the way they are now’ in your relationships might very well be staring you in the face.

If you can look at it squarely — and this goes for the individual level as well as for all of us collectively — you can use it effectively. Yes, Aries can be combative, warlike and violent. Aries is also, however, where we locate the idea of identity; of “I am.” Who are you now, who have you been, and who might you be in the process of becoming?

You have some choices. And as unlikely as the apparent reconciliation of North and South Korea may be, it certainly presents an interesting alternative to the war and suffering visible elsewhere. Consider it one of many possible places along the path of healing. Justice, revolt and retribution appear along that path, too. Where are you at?

The Sacred Space of Self, the brand new 2018 Spring Reading, is now available for pre-order. This set of 12 video presentations will cover Chiron’s transition into Aries, and Mars retrograde in Aquarius over the summer. Pre-order soon for best value. You may read more about what Eric will be covering in your Spring Reading here.